In any ball screw system, the major cause of thermal growth is the heat generated by the ball nut moving over the screw. By using the ETA+ screws from Steinmeyer, MAG Fadal has been able to significantly reduce the frictional heat by up to 67% against other like screws. Engineers from MAG Fadal recommend two approaches to overcome thermal growth issues:
Our testing has indicated that a 30 minute warm up cycle that exercises all
axes/spindle will enable the machine to reach a thermally stable state. By
using a warm up cycle as soon as the machine is turned on will allow customers
to cut parts accurately and consistently. This is a lower cost alternative to scales.
To ensure positioning accuracy, we recommend optional scales for whoever needs better precision or consistent performance, thus eliminating nearly all thermal growth effects. This will enable a customer to cold start the machine and produce quality parts right away.
